The Drir
= The Drir = -- Taken from the December 2017 Rulebook, pages 35 & 36 -- —TEARS FEED THE SOUL— Long ago, in the aftermath of the Crusades, the people then known as the “Malificar”—Necromancers, Summoners, Blood Mages, Cultists, and Demon worshipers—were hunted to the fringes of the known world. Although most of them were wiped from the face of Adelrune, some were able to flee for their lives by abandoning their lands in the face of what would later come to be known as “The Purges.” The Malificar who survived took refuge among a myriad of swampy island chains off the western (“Red”) coast of the Expanse. There, the regrouping Malificar fortified themselves and began to mingle with the original, tribal inhabitants of the islands. They formed large family units, which then banded together into three powerful Kabals. Ages passed, and sailors learned to give what had become the Drir Isles a more-than-wide berth: animated corpses roamed the sea floor, with instructions to drag any intruders down into the murky depths. The “Dark Magics” have defined and shaped all aspects of Drir culture. The secrets of Drir rituals and spells are closely guarded and are typically passed down only to members of the family. Though the Kabals of the Drir share a common history, over time they have grown apart, resulting in cultural norms and behaviors that are, at times, radically different from one another. When the Drir Kabals war against each other, they are said to engage in the most savage and depraved of acts to fuel their primordial spellcraft. Despite this, it would be a mistake to believe that the Drir are only warring tribes of cannibals: most Drir readily recognize the value and sanctity of life, knowing all too well its eventual end. As such, Drir festivals are anything but dreary. They typically involve music featuring heavy drums and chanting, fire dancers, and the construction of giant effigies made of discarded bones. Each island is home to a different family, and, for the most part, each family is part of one of the three major Kabals; the Mortichyte, the Peleset, or the vicious Amimaerun. The lords of each Kabal generally replace their previous surnames with the name of their Kabal, but determining the line of succession varies from Kabal to Kabal. The groups that make up the Peleset Kabal typically elect a leader from among their eldest members, while the families that make up the Mortichyte Kabal usually let their leaders choose successors themselves. The families that make up the Amimaerun Kabal tend to have a quick turnover from one leader to the next, as succession is determined by a melee between the challengers for leadership, occurring whenever new challengers arise. The swamps of the Drir Isles function as a crypt for countless drowned sailors and travelers; in times of great peril, the Drir can raise those bodies into an undead, protective barrier against any threats from the outside world. As the Drir Isles have little in the way of food or resources, most cultures tend to ignore and avoid the Drir whenever possible. POLITICAL OVERVIEW: THE DRIR Government Type: Varies by Kabal— * Mortichyte: Appointed-Succession Chiefdom * Peleset: Elective Chiefdom * Amimaerun: Kraterocratic Chiefdom Allies: None Enemies: The Amalgamation, Ad Decimum, Castle Thorn, Mandala, the Celestine Empire, and Cole (also, the Kabals have a history of warring amongst themselves) Welcomed Bloodlines: Human, Half-Demon Persecuted Bloodlines: Half-Celestial Crimes: Betraying your Tribe or Kabal National Religion: Many Drir worship the volcano at the center of their Isles EXAMPLE CHARACTER NAMES: The three Kabals of the Drir tend to have slightly different kinds of names: MORTICHYTE MALE: Krelinith, Render MORTICHYTE FEMALE: Marinam, Ventrisha PELESET MALE: Skahar, Ko’drav* PELESET FEMALE: Dro-rassa, Za’assi AMIMAERUN MALE: Garraiu, Varsatha AMIMAERUN FEMALE: Crensha-i, Lambarie *Note: it is traditional in Drir culture to pronounce the letter “V” as “TH” if it is the final sound in a name Surnames often draw inspiration from demonic names. Many Drir do not have surnames; some example surnames, though, are Alveya, Do’vah, Laran’kath, and Turukamn. Most Vile of the Drir *